This Is What 42 Looks Like

Julie Chen, cohost of The Talk, says her life has turned out differently than she ever expected

by Nikki Ostasiewski

Julie Chen

Photograph: Melanie Acevedo

On the value of volume
“I grew up in Queens, New York, and that’s why, to this day, I love big hair. I’m old school and still use Sebastian Shaper Hair Spray [$20; drugstores], which gives me volume and hold.”

On being a late bloomer
“I thought I’d be Clair Huxtable [fromThe Cosby Show] in my forties: married with five kids and a career. But once I got on the journalism fast track, I accepted that marriage and kids weren’t in store for me. Then, at 34, I fell in love and quickly married [CBS president and CEO Les Moonves]. At 39, I was pregnant.”

On getting older—and wiser
“Life gets fuller and richer. Yes, your body changes, and you have to work harder to keep in shape. But the benefit of being wiser makes it worth it.”

On her anti-aging mentor
“I used to watch my mother lie in bed rubbing her hands together, then pressing them to her face. She said it prevented lines. She’s 79 years old today and doesn’t have a single wrinkle.”